Our Team

Our Team

DR. RUTH ANN FERNANDEZ

Clinical DirectorCertified Chiropractic Sports Practitioner

Dr. Ruth Ann Fernandez, Clinical Director of the Manhattan (NYC) MaxHealth Center, has enjoyed working with thousands of patients over the past fifteen years, relieving their pain, restoring function and movement, and vastly improving the quality of their lives. With an impressive list of professional certifications, academic achievements, and continuing education hours, her qualifications are apparent at first glance. But more important—beyond the accolades and the degree that affirms her clinical ability—is Dr. Fernandez’s passionate commitment to her patients and her deep-seated belief that, with the right treatment and guidance, anyone, regardless of age or current health, can transform their life for a better tomorrow.

Dr. Fernandez became Clinical Director of MaxHealth Center in 1992. She and the professional staff at MaxHealth are committed to promoting the overall well being of their patients, not just masking their pain or giving them temporary fixes similar to those offered elsewhere. Theirs is an integrative practice for wellness that begins with a proactive stance to promote overall health and prevent further pain or injury. Dr. Fernandez’s clients receive the very best in chiropractic corrective care and therapy with methods that actually restore the integrity of the spine as opposed to offering only short-term pain relief. Striving to empower clients to achieve optimum health benefits, she also provides nutritional consults and key information about core strengthening and exercise.

Upon completion of her studies at New York Chiropractic College, Dr. Fernandez began a series of lectures promoting overall health and the value of chiropractic care. She continues to offer health care classes that include an overview of chiropractic, the value of wellness care, and nutrition. She lectured extensively in New York City Public Schools from 1992 to 2001, raising awareness about nutrition, exercise, heart disease and diabetes.

In order to provide her patients with the latest information and very best treatment options, Dr. Fernandez has completed hundreds of hours of post-graduate chiropractic education. Topics studied included pain management, numerous rehabilitation methods, back disorders, joint dysfunction, biomechanics, abdominal training, nutrition, exercise, strength and conditioning, whiplash, and nutrition endocrinology, among others. These continuing education hours were completed at several prestigious medical facilities including New York Chiropractic College, Hospital for Joint Disease Center, Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, Southern California University of Health Sciences, University of Bridgeport, and the Spine Research Institute of San Diego. In addition, she has completed certification courses from the American Academy of Manual and Physical Medicine in Manipulation Under Anesthesia, Operating Room Procedures, and Pain Management.

Dr. Ruth Ann Fernandez holds a Doctorate of Chiropractic degree from New York Chiropractic College and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She also specializes in handling athletes and their very unique injuries as she is a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician (C.C.S.P.). Dr. Fernandez is a licensed chiropractor in both New York and Nevada, is fluent in Spanish, and is an active member of numerous professional organizations including the International Chiropractic Association, the New York Chiropractic Council, the American Chiropractic Association, American Academy of Spine Physicians, American Academy of Hospital Chiropractors, and the American Academy of Pain Management.

DR. DARREN RIEF

Chiropractic Practitioner

Dr. Darren Rief is a Long Island native, who has been practicing in New York City since graduating from Life University in 2000. Focusing on posture correction, and eliminating the single most powerful stress on our spines, gravity! Improved Posture = Improved Function of our nervous system = Improved health.

Dr. Rief has work alongside Orthopedists, Neurologists, Physical Therapists, Acupuncturists, and Massage Therapist for most of his 13 years in practice. This has given him a unique approach to patient care that takes all aspects of a person’s health and musculo-skeletal system into consideration. He will not only consider a patient’s spinal (and/or extremity) misalignment / malfunction; but the soft tissue (muscle, tendon, fascia, ligament) component as well. Addressing the soft tissue is often the difference in a patient’s total recovery, accelerating healing, and returning to normal function completely.